Rivier Foundation chairperson Nicole Barbondy estimated that 285 people attended the Saturday dinner at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre, encouraging organizers to bring the event back in the future.

“We had such success last year that we decided we were going to try it again this year and obviously it was a great success again,” Barbondy said. “So we’ll probably make it an annual event.”

The weekend fundraiser aimed to help Rivier purchase new lighting and a projection screen.

While the final amount raised remains to be determined, last year’s event successfully raised enough money for the school to buy a new sound system.

“This year we’re continuing our upgrades into the school,” Barbondy said. “The school’s been around since the 1950s and is in need of some upgrades, and so we’re very fortunate that we have enough people that came out and supported us and are helping us meet our goals.”

The Prince Albert Inn provided catering for the event. Lobster was flown in from Nova Scotia through a storm the previous night, while the steak was purchased at a local grocery store.

We had such success last year that we decided we were going to try it again this year and obviously it was a great success again.Nicole Barbondy

Local band Coffee or Scotch provided entertainment for attendees, many of whom took to the dance floor.

Another key part of the fundraiser was a silent auction and live auction. Prince Albert Bishop Albert Thévenot handled auctioneering duties for the latter, which included items ranging from a laptop to a trip for two to New York.

Barbondy pointed to the importance of sponsors in helping facilitate the event, while noting that the strong turnout occurred despite numerous other fundraisers in the city taking place around the same time period.

“P.A.’s a generous town and just coming off a whole lot of different other fundraising events,” she said.